The One Behind
by Small Lady1
Summary: An introspective look into the one who believes she loves Syaoran more. Set several years after the cards conversion. With an alternative special ending!


The One Behind

Author's Note: Don't flame me to death! The alternate end to this is something that struck me as a different interesting idea. Not that my lil Syaoran-kun would ever do that. I wanted to write something to show a little sympathy to the girl we all love to hate. Takes place early 20s or something. 

I don't own CCS, though someday I shall! Mwhhahhaha...I am broke beyond belief anyways.

She sighed as she gently rapped her fingers on the table. It was going to be another long night alone. She was used to it in a way. She had to be after all these years. The clock was striking the dull hour of three am when she heard the door open tiredly and a pale protest was whispered from the wood.

She did not even have to see him to know what he was doing. He wondered through the living room and dropped his hat and shoes onto the floor and furniture before he would arrive into the kitchen to see her slowly sipping some more bitter green tea. She nodded in perfect time as the thumps confirmed his robe being tossed carelessly onto the couch, shoes tossed lazily at the entrance. She glanced up at him as he trudged in half asleep.

He saw the girl sitting there in her usual place that she had taken to sitting when he had been out for a couple of late hours protecting and fighting off some new source that was threatening his beloved one. He sighed quietly as he pulled up a chair next to her and took the offered mug she slid across to him.

"Did you succeed?" she asked, her voice a bare treble. 

"Yes," he answered gruffly to her.

She lowered her ebony head and stared at her terracotta eyes in her cup. Why she even bothered to make his life better she had long forgotten. Oh, yeah. Orders of the clan to stay by his side since he wished to make his life here. She bit icily at her lip till a scarlet drop of blood fell into her cup where she eyed it mystified. 

That other woman was making her life hell. She had come to respect her and the deep devotion that was evident between the two lovers. Yet, it failed to warm her life any when he came home at night. He probably never recalled his childish promise to dress her in red. She fingered the rim of the cup as memories of their childhood in Hong Kong flashed in her mind's eye. 

__

"And it has been promised from our future leader that he shall marry and produce an heir with his cousin to keep established a strong bloodline that will bring us even greater power and glory in the future to come."

She had turned chrisom at the announcement and looked over curiously at him who stood cold as ice as he heard his fate declared. Law... that was the Elder's word. And she was made a bride this day. Waiting till she is sold into the caresses of that stolid relative that she was to wed someday. At least the burden of no freedom of choice was softened by the fact that her betrothed was handsome and nothing was desired in his physique beyond the years of maturing they both would withstand before the appointed marriage time. 

She glanced up at her cousin and bit down the little sob that threatened to break through her clenched teeth. He smelled of sweat and just a lingering touch of spring that was _her _trademark. She shook her head to shoo away the unbidden images of his lover throwing herself in his strong arms after they had defeated another threat to their happiness and peace. She noted the lip gloss that glinted on his mouth and just the touch of it on his neck. No doubt they had celebrated well afterwards. 

She stood up and took the mugs off the table as his profile was silhouetted from a sudden crash of lighting. Yes, her former fiancee had grown up into a solid, muscular young man who had freed himself rightly from tradition to be with the girl he loved. 

Her smile was ironically sweet as she swept past his lone figure and went to her room. He gave no indication that he even saw her leave. She closed her bedroom door with a sigh and leaned against it. A tear slipped down her cheek and she hurriedly brushed the offender away. Better to pretend not to care anymore than to let him know how she truly felt. 

She laid in bed quietly listening to him as he went about. The hiss of the shower and then his heavy thump as he fell onto his bed to sleep. She closed her eyes and forced down the thoughts of who his dreams were. That girl. The Card Mistress with the flower name. The one who made the man of ice melt like butter on toast. Her laughter clung to the air of her beloved even as the one who believed she loved him more listened to him inhale and exhale in his sleep. 

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She arose early the next morning and fixed breakfast as he came down the hall sleepy-eyed. She noted a small, pressed flower petal sitting on the counter. He picked it up and dropped it into a vase with dozens of other ones she had given him as her token of love for him. Her eyes darted away as she served his food and orange juice. No, he would never be hers. He loved someone else.

He gave her a glare as he walked out the door and down the street carrying his lunch. Another day, another duty. He was not going to work. He was going off to see her once again. The lovely little maiden he would spend all his days fighting for. She ran her thumb over her lip and smiled. 

In name and duty, he loved the other girl like fire loves air. But from her perspective of being with him as his housekeeper kept her happy. She was the one who got to watch him sleep at night. 

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Alternate ending: 

She arose early the next morning and fixed breakfast as he came down the hall sleepy-eyed. She noted a small, pressed flower petal sitting on the counter. He picked it up and dropped it into a vase with dozens of other ones she had given him as her token of love for him. Her eyes darted away as she served his food and orange juice. No, he would never be hers. He loved someone else.

He gave her a glare as he walked out the door and down the street carrying his lunch. Another day, another duty. He was not going to work. He was going off to see her once again. The lovely little maiden he would spend all his days fighting for. She ran her thumb over her lip and smiled down. Yes... she was the one who got to carry his child. 


End file.
